Wichita eagle., 1887-01-20
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1ail1) EAGLE
CALLERS ON LAWYERS.
THE PRECAUTIONS THAT ARE TAKEN
AGAINST BORES AND CRANkS.
Row Mistakes Are Sometimes Made.
People Who Are Hardest to Get Rid OF
for Litigation.

People who visit the Offices of prominent
lawyers find that they are usually cCoped
up in little dens of their own, and laby-
rinthine passages and inquisitivc clerks
bar the way. Those who are known 10
have important business with the firm
are readily admitted to the inner cham
Der, but strangers are examined and cross
examined and their intentions thoroughly
Siftsd before they can gain access. This
eXclusivcuess IS q matter of protection,
and while the inciyiiity of clerks and
middle mcn may be trying to the temper OF
q person having 4 right in the Office, yet
such course must be taken or the law
ycrs would have their hands fail OF busi-
ness in which there was no money, and
be driven 70 the verge Of suicide By borcs.
''Ine- reception room. " said the cLief
clerk Of q large law firm to q reporter,
has many queer people in it At times.
There are Il SET Of cranks Of the most an
moving kind who make the rounds OF the
leading law firms in the city. They are
born IitiCanls. Some of them have
money; tie most OF them have hone.
Whenever = man comes into an Office for
the first time and uurOIls an old map or
any other document with the yellow tin@e
of age OF il the guns ere at once trained
on him. Mistakes are sometimes made.
II does not always DO 70 size up 4 man
from appearances. Ny resignation WIS
asked once because sat down hard on a
client who could sign his check fer mill
ion but looked Ike tramp. That's one
serious drawback; EilIonaircs Go not 81
ways look like it.
HARD TO GET RID or.
''The people who own half the city and
can prove il and those who are interested
in inventions and patents are the hardest
to get I'D Of. ii they can get hold with
an eyclid they viii never let go. They
have plausible stories all, and insist on see
ing the head of the firm. Sometimes they
do get an audience, and as long as they
pass the outer gate he thinks they are
all right and takes an interest in the bust
ness. One smart fellow got us TO bring
a suit for damages against a well known
business man. Our client had dOcumeu-
tary proof that made a splendid case and
would have stood in any court, but when
the case came to trial it was shown that
the people and facts were drawn from
his own Imagination and the case was
thrown ont of court. II was the third
time he had fooled a lawyer, but as lie
paid for his fun no hearts were broken.
The women clients of this kind are the
most troublesome They insist on seeing
the head Of the firm without telling their
business To any one else. To tell them Il
little lie about his being out is 10 good,
for they viii sit the whole day, if neces-
sary, to test the statement. There are
three or four women who have money and
spend their time going the rounds Of the
prominent lawyers, trying TO enlist them
in some lIHag nary suit They VIII put
up a retainer. if asked to, but woe be 10
the man who takes it. \ trip to Europe
is the only means Of escape. They VIII
bring a suit on the slightest pretense, but
usually there is no ground for corr plant.
The desire TO litiEate seems to be ovrr-
towering Oae Of the women visits the
courts regularly. has picked up a good
knowledge Of law and can ask questions
that would make the Oldest practitioner
scratch his head. Nearly all these pecIIi-
lar people are eccentric or mentally I'M
sound and most Of them really believe
that they have been injured and are en-
titled to redress. At one time there were
several fine looking women who sought TO
get an audience with first class lawyers IS
well as business men for matchmaking pur-
poses. and it is rule in some Offices that
strange women are never seen by any
member of the firl:l except when wit
nesses are present. It IS u peculiar thiu.,
that women clients who have legitimate
business in court form q violent autjDaJAy
against any one who is opposed TO them
and do not hesitate to make known their
intense hatred by word and manner. =
New York Tribune.